tswit
AGA Sprout
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Post by tswit on Jul 20, 2023 8:44:30 GMT -5
I have several 18 Gallon containers that I filled with 1.3 - 1.6 EC nutrient solution. What I have noticed checking water level. Is the some of the reservoirs have power/crystal like formation on sides and bottom of container. One specifically is my one of my Tomato plants that has had a few black bottom rot on a couple fruits.
Should I be remixing this solution to get the nutrients back into solution when I Add more water? EC has risen to 2.0 but I just added plain water to level out.
Any suggestions on keeping nutrients in suspension or how to keep Calcium available to prevent end rot?
Thank you!
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scarfguy
AGA Farmer
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Post by scarfguy on Jul 20, 2023 8:55:37 GMT -5
From what I understand is that you are experiencing nutrient "lockout". What happens is that as you mix different nutrients in specific orders and concentrations, the molecules can bind and form a precipitate. This precipitate will not be water soluable and will not be avaliable to the plant. Stirring it will not put it back into solution.
From what I've read, you should add a silica supplement first (if you use one), after thoroughly mixed you add the calcium/magnesium additive, mix it well and wait awhile so that is goes into solution completely, then add your NKP nutrients.
I do AGs not kratky. I add 5 ml of cal-mag twice a week and NPK once every 2 weeks. I never add the NPK to the bowl on the same day that I add cal-mag.
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scarfguy
AGA Farmer
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Post by scarfguy on Jul 20, 2023 9:04:58 GMT -5
I'm also struggling with blossom end-rot.
I think it's a problem particularly effecting hydroponics in general. Calcium doesn't transport well to the extremities of the plant where it needs to be. After reading a bunch of stuff, my theory is that the rapid growth of young plants particularly in hydroponics (we are, of course, striving for rapid growth) doesn't allow the mechanisms for the transport of calcium to develop fully. Blossom end rot is most often seen in the first fruits of the plant. Frequently as the plant matures, it becomes easier for it to transport calcium to the extremities. The mature plant is no longer growing rapidly and the later fruit no longer shows the symptoms. It's also worse in the heat (both water temperature and air temperature)
If anybody has a sure-fire cure for blossom end rot, I'd love to hear it. I'm tired of throwing away tomatoes.
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Post by lynnee on Jul 20, 2023 17:00:03 GMT -5
scarfguy, one thing that causes blossom-end rot is an uneven supply of fertilizer. It might help your tomatoes if you added nutrients more often, especially when the fruits are forming. I've had blossom-end rot in an AG only once, on a green pepper. Interestingly, the rot appeared after the pepper was mature enough to harvest. If I hadn't left it on the plant to turn red, I wouldn't have lost it. The plant had a LOT of developing peppers on it, so I should have fertilized more often. An indicator of nutrient shortage was that growth was sort of stalled. 
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